Great Falls schools trustee Don Ryan resigns over new schools names

The Great Falls Public Schools district has names for its two new elementary schools— Longfellow Elementary and Giant Springs Elementary — but one less trustee on the board.

After an onslaught of public comment and a tense discussion among a few board members Monday night, Trustee Don Ryan resigned after a failed bid to honor the late Sen. Mike Mansfield by naming a school after him.

"I'm very disappointed by what happened today," Ryan said before the meeting adjourned. "I just feel that sometimes as a board we rely on committees, but the ultimate result comes down to us. When we did the budget committee hearing, I didn't like the way it came out. I voted against it. I wanted to do more, but I had to support the board...I will resign from the board, effective immediately. I cannot support this decision. I'm sorry. I wish you the best and you've done some great work, but I think my time can be better spent."

(Photo: Picasa)

"I didn't tell anyone, but I thought about this decision two weeks before," Ryan said. "This was at no cost to the district, to have even 50 years from now a teaching point for kids in the area. Kids at Chief Joseph (elementary) know something about Chief Joseph. (Mansfield) was a real part of history with local, national and Montana importance."

Ryan said naming a school Mansfield Elementary was a "no-brainer." Mansfield's story of growing up a poor, foster child in Great Falls' lower southside neighborhood would resonate with the community, he said.

Rallying for Giant Springs

After a month of community input and meetings of a designated naming committee – comprised of teachers, students, alumni and community members – the school board was presented with two recommendations per new school.

The committee presented Giant Springs Elementary and Inspire Elementary as possible new names for the Roosevelt replacement school. For Longfellow, the committee recommended retaining the original school's name or changing it to Eagle Falls Elementary. Longfellow Elementary is named for Maine poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The recommendations were first presented to the board at its regular meeting on Sept. 11. After the names were presented, Ryan suggested the board consider naming one of the new schools Mike Mansfield Elementary and said he would make a motion at the following meeting to do just that.

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LPW Architects presents 3-D renderings of the exterior of the Roosevelt replacement school design.
LPW Architects

Ryan brought books and notes about the late senator and gave the board and audience a brief history of the man's life, saying his background, connection to Great Falls and his immense influence on American politics would serve as an inspiration for the students who attended his namesake school.

First up for vote at Monday's school board meeting was the Roosevelt replacement school. Before opening the field for public comment, Ryan made a pitch for Mike Mansfield Elementary, but said he would be putting in his full fight to rename Longfellow Elementary for the senator.

Roosevelt teachers Mary Proud, Hannah Crawford, Alissa Kline and Wynn Davis all addressed the board and asked that they follow the wishes of the naming committee and the community by naming the school Giant Springs Elementary.

"There's enough named for Mansfield already," Proud said.

"Giant Springs Elementary is the most popular name with my peers and our parents," Dylan Hendricks, Roosevelt student said. "We conducted a poll at school. That's what students would like it to be named and it was designed with Giant Springs in mind. Please keep students and teachers in mind."

Tensions build

Following public comment, Ryan raised his hand to speak again and alleged that the articles provided to the naming committee influenced them against considering naming either of the schools after a person.

"I feel that in some ways the ideas given to the community about these two schools, the people who went online submitted names were told its a bad thing to name schools after people," Ryan said. "If the board is afraid to name a school after person, we should change our policy."

His comments did not sit well with Trustee Laura Vukasin.

"It is a real serious concern of mine that you're bringing this up at the board level," Vukasin said. "We're not scared of making a decision. There was never anytime we told them not to name a school after a person."

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The Great Falls Public Schools ground breaking ceremony for the new elementary school, yet to be named, that will replace Roosevelt Elementary School. The new school will be built at 3117 5th Ave. N.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

"I'm not saying they were told, I'm saying led to believe that," Ryan interrupted.

But Vukasin continued.

"My biggest issue is we charged people with going out and coming back with names and they looked to lots of people for with input. It feels to some of us that this is coming out of the blue...I'm at a loss as to why it didn't come in at that point before we came back to the board with recommendations...if (the community) comes with ideas and we don't listen and take the attitude that we make final decision, I'm worried they wouldn't want to participate anymore. I definitely have a vote. I'm not voting about what I think is right, I'm voting for the community...If that's the number one name and the first name brought, we owe them the courtesy of considering that name. It's not what Don Ryan or Laura want, it's about what people in the community want."

When Vukasin finished, she was applauded.

Fighting for Longfellow

Naming the new Longfellow Elementary school was next on the agenda.

Vukasin immediately made a motion to retain the school's original name per the recommendation from the naming committee. However, Ryan raised a replacement motion to name the school Mike Mansfield Elementary.

Following a terse explanation of the motion-type between Ryan and Vukasin, the public was invited to comment.

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Students play outside Longfellow Elementary while waiting on the bus Tuesday afternoon. Longfellow is one of the schools that will experience changes under the school bond levy.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/JULIA MOSS)

"In my short time there, I've focused on the learning culture and climate of Longfellow," new Longfellow principal Ryan Hart said. "I've spent a great deal of time talking with stakeholders, students, staff, faculty and asked what they think. Almost universally, they want it to stay Longfellow."

Hart said he also spoke to Longfellow's former principal Cal Gilbert who said he, too, supported Longfellow keeping its name.

"I want to keep the name," Peter Gill, former Longfellow student, said. "It's been called that for many years. My siblings go there now, my other siblings have been there and they all want to keep Longfellow...Even if you change it, it will be called Longfellow no matter what you call it. I was on the committee to give names. I asked the elders that went to Longfellow and they all said 'why change it? It's not moving it anywhere."

Mayor Bob Kelly also approached the board to speak and said he was initially in favor of a fresh start for the school, but changed his mind after talking to people in the community.

"This decision has local ownership," Kelly said. "Without a dog in this hunt, the people that I've talked to overwhelming support the decision to maintain the same name."

Mike Mansfield(Photo: FAL 1228 Love MT)

When the audience was finished, Ryan wasn't.

"If we want to inspire children, we have to give them an example that they can achieve," Ryan said.

Ryan continued, saying the idea didn't come from him, but rather from a group of people.

"If we can't name a school after Mike Mansfield, then we can't name a school after anybody because no one will be the equal," Ryan said and told the audience more about the Senator's life and connection to Great Falls. "Mansfield didn't forget his neighborhood. I'm afraid his neighborhood is forgetting him."

Then, Trustee Jason Brantley addressed Ryan's argument.

"At the start, I was in the camp of giving (Longfellow) a fresh start," Brantley said. "A new building and a new name might re-energize this part of the district...Not many would recall as (Longfellow) as a poet, so I didn't think it was an important name. It turns out Longfellow the institution has become more important than Longfellow the poet. I just don't think that name will carry the weight and have the same impact on people who will attend school."

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Major cracking in the plaster walls of some of the classrooms at Longfellow Elementary School are just some of the problems the district want to address through a school bond.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

Following everyone's comments, Chairman Cahill said he received five phone calls regarding Longfellow, including a call from former chairman David Reeves in support of Mike Mansfield Elementary.

Cahill said he would vote with Ryan with the belief that the motion wouldn't pass.

He was correct. Mike Mansfield Elementary failed by a two to five vote.

Then, the board returned to Vukasin's original motion and approved retaining Longfellow Elementary as the name of the new school by a six to one vote.

On Tuesday, Ryan said he was also frustrated because Mike Mansfield received nine community submissions, the most submissions of any name, for the committee to consider while no one submitted Longfellow or Eagle Falls for consideration.

When it came time for the committee to vote, Longfellow received seven votes, Eagle Falls received seven votes and Mike Mansfield received two votes.

"I think we made a mistake," Ryan said. "I think this was a missed opportunity."

Not over yet

The room largely cleared out following the final naming decisions, leaving predominantly faculty and staff for the remainder of the evening.

The matter of the new school names seemed to be closed until Ryan raised his hand to speak during the board's opportunity for final comments before adjournment.

"I'm very disappointed by today," Ryan said. " I waited for the board meeting to talk about this because I didn't want to have closed conversations with the board to see what votes I could get lined up."

And then he resigned.

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Jan Cahill (left), Don Ryan and Jason Brantley are sworn in as trustees of the school board.(Photo: Tribune Photo/Sarah Dettmer)

On Tuesday, Ryan said he did not attend any of the school naming committee meetings because he didn't think it would be appropriate to "strong arm" the members into choosing Mike Mansfield Elementary. Instead, he wanted to present the senator's story and make his case before the board and the community.

After the school board meeting, Cahill said despite his knowledge of Ryan's passion to get a school named for Mike Mansfield, he didn't see his resignation coming.

"I hope he will reconsider between now and next board meeting," Cahill said.

Ryan must submit a written resignation letter within three days of the verbal resignation he made Monday for the move to be officials.

Ryan was re-elected to his school board seat during the May 2, 2017 election. He was to serve for three years. Should he officially resign, the position will be filled by a board-appointed trustee who will serve a limited term until the next school board election.